A local church is doing an interesting sermon series involving what Jesus would say to various celebrities. The signboard asks the question, What would Jesus say to….
Paris Hilton.
Bono.
Tom Cruise.
Terrell Owens.
I wondered what I would say to each of those famous or infamous people. In my fantasy world I would say something like this…
Paris Hilton – Look up the definition of shame.
Terrell Owens – It is your job to catch passes. Just do your job. I don’t dance in the middle of the room when I do my job well (thank God).
Tom Cruise – You might want to rethink the medication thing.
Bono – You rock.
In the real world I would likely not say any of those things except maybe the “you rock” to Bono. But I was wondering if what Jesus would say to a celebrity is the right question to ask. I am pretty good at figuring out what Jesus would say to others. I have an amazing ability to hear a sermon and wonder if Congregant A is hearing this? Or to shake my head and think, “Man does Congregant B need to hear that!”
But the question I need to be asking is what Jesus would say to Dave. That is where I get less comfortable and a bit more reserved. My fantasy conversation with Jesus happens (surprise) at Starbucks. The first question would be be WWJO. What would Jesus order? After we answered that I imagined the conversation would go something like this…
Jesus: I have missed spending time with you recently.
Dave: I have been really busy with work and traveling.
Jesus: I understand. But you know the shepherd knows when his sheep wander off for awhile.
Dave: Yeah. Sorry.
Jesus: I was glad you came to me with your fear and hurt about Joni’s cancer.
Dave: I don’t know how I could have handled that without you.
Jesus: I am there for you. I am there even when there is not a crisis.
Dave: I know. I forget that sometimes. I get so busy with stupid stuff that I forget to pray and spend time in the Bible.
Jesus: I was just wondering something.
Dave: What?
Jesus: Did you find time to spend with your fantasy baseball team roster today?
Dave: Do you need a refill?
Jesus: Nice try. You make time for what is important to you. I want to be as important to you as you are to me.
Dave: Why do you put up with me?
Jesus: Because I love you. And I always will.
So maybe my imaginary conversation with Jesus would not go quite like that. I think that conversation would change how I go about my daily routines. I believe that conversation would alter how I view others. And I believe my talk with Jesus would energize my walk with Him.
So the next question is simple. Why isn’t that already happening on a consistent basis? I have His words and teachings to study. I have the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life. I have other followers of Jesus to share the journey with each day.
So what would Jesus say to me? I think He would say something very simple and yet profound enough to challenge me for the rest of my days. Here is a little medley of the message I think He would have for me (and you).
“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” Matt 4:19
But Jesus told him, “Follow me…. Matt 8:22
“Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. Matt 9:9
“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Matt 16:24
Then come, follow me.” Matt 19:21
Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” John 1:43
Whoever serves me must follow me; John 12:26
Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” John 21:22
In the immortal words of Forrest Gump…”I’m not a smart man”. But like Forrest I have a keen sense of the obvious. I have surmised (brilliantly) that Jesus would say to follow Him. The rest of it we will figure out together.
Karina Black
LOL!!!
Love the commentary on this one 😀
Clothe Paris!! Perhaps Bono could put on a benefit concert..
DH
Excellent article….
shimauma
//Dave: Why do you put up with me?
Jesus: Because I love you. And I always will.//
You speared my heart with this one, Dave. Why, oh why does He put up with me. I know what’s right, I know what’s important. So why do I make excuses, and why does Jesus still love me when I make excuses…LAME excuses.
I’m glad you changed the focus of "What would Jesus say…" cause it’s not our need to know or even speculate what He would tell someone else. Like the Aslan and Edmund conversation in "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe", that conversation wasn’t written cause it’s not our business to know. We need to worry about the splinters in our own eyes first.
Thank you, Dave as usual for those reminding pokes about where my heart should be.
Steve Goss
Well, that’s not how the sermon went. It went something like this:
1. Jesus would commend her for seeking to find her own identity, not just resting on her family’s fortune.
2. Jesus would tell how much he loves her.
3. Jesus would encourage her to pay attention to her eternal inheritance.
That’s a rough outline of the sermon form Easter. It would be more precise, but this is what I get for not taking notes…
P.S. The video just before the sermon, which had a spool of Paris’ show, was absolutely hysterical.
Cheryl
Hello.
Jesus might remind Terrell that his talent is a gift from HIM so he shouldn’t be so boastful.
He might say something to Tom Cruise about humility and to be careful when judging others.
He probably would thank Bono for caring for the least.
I am pretty sure Jesus would offer Paris Hilton some food and clothing since he told us to feed the hungry and clothe the naked!
I don’t think I would be capable of saying a word but if I could speak I would ask Him to forgive me of my sins…conversation would be out of the question! I would want to touch Jesus.
Mitali Perkins
Thanks for this encouraging post. I heard Jesus calling me through your words to follow, follow, follow. In fact, I love most of your posts, Dave, so keep ’em coming. I pray for grace for you and your wife as you face the ugly C-word together, knowing that you’re in the care of those two much stronger C-words — the Cross and our Christ.
In Him,
Mitali (your fellow Crosswalk blogger)
Phil Hodges
Dave,
Thank you for the reality check. What I think is interesting about the whole celebrity advice thing is that I am fairly certain that Tom and Paris are not believers (though I never make a habit of saying this one is and that one isn’t). TO can use an attitude adjustment certainly, which is the job of his church and friends. Bono rocks, I wish the church would stand up and take notice of what he is doing, they could take some hints. Tom and Paris . . . can I tell you about Jesus? Now really, I don’t think I would be able to tell them that, certainly I would never get past their people. As a church though, we shouldn’t be so quick to throw their sins out there as an example of their lack of faith, we tend to see a boomerang effect about the hypocricy of Christians. So instead of throwing arrows, we should pray for them . . . oh, and keep the kids away.
Phil
Bridgette
Thanks for the smack on the side of the head…..
Sounds like an odd sermon series. I like your answers but I guess I think the worst and think this is what was bing said:
Paris Hilton– You Jezebel.
Terrell — How come you play on Sunday (sorry, I have no clue who this )
Tom– better for him to have a stone around his neck as he will be pulling his child from God
Bono– they’ll get after him for his mouth